Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Granola

Over the last few days, I’ve started to feel that festive sparkle.

Now that the first decoration has gone up and Christmas songs are blaring out from the radio (am I the only one who loves Christmas tunes?!), I can feel myself beginning to get excited! I LOVE Christmas, and cannot wait for it this year.

Among the excitement, the joy of spending time with loved ones, and giving presents, Christmas has some of the most delicious foods. From gingerbread to chocolate cakes, panna cotta, Christmas puddings, mince pies (notice how everything I’m mentioning is sweet!), and spectacular ice cream creations, food just seems to taste that bit more delicious over the festive season.

Don’t you agree? The only problem is that it’s impossible to resist everything on display!

Anyway, I am now well and truly on board with the festive eating, and have begun making this Gingerbread Granola for the boys every weekend.

Gingerbread is one of my favourite festive bakes as it’s so cosy and satisfying, and I love the warming spices.

This gingerbread granola is quite subtly spiced (and therefore kid-friendly!) and tastes like a friendly gingerbread man. It’s also comforting, and more than a little addictive. You have been warned…

As with most of my granolas, I like to blend up nut flour to use alongside the oats. For me, it lifts flavours and makes it taste that bit more seasonal, that bit more delicious.

In this recipe, I used pecans because they scream Christmas to me. However, you can use whatever you fancy – brazil nuts, maybe even roast chestnuts!

I also added some more unusual ingredients, including sweet potato, cashew butter and arrowroot. However, don’t panic – you can’t taste any of these! They are just among my pantry secrets for creating a chunkier, crunchier granola.

Anyway, I do hope that you love this granola as much as me and the boys do! I now have to place it under lock and key because I grab it by the handful and eat entire batches in one sitting!

Sam x

Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Granola

Ingredients:

Serves 6 –

2 1/2 cups oats

1/2 cup pecans, ground to a powder

1 cup whole pecans

2 tbsp arrowroot

2 tbsp coconut sugar

1 tsp cinnamon (or more, to taste)

1 tsp ginger powder (or more, to taste)

Large pinch salt

For the wet ingredients –

4 tbsp coconut oil

4 tbsp sweet potato puree

4 tbsp brown rice syrup, honey or maple syrup

2.5 tbsp molasses

2 tbsp cashew butter

1 tsp vanilla paste

Dried fruit and one cup dark chocolate chips, to serve

Method:

Start by pre-heating your oven to 160C and line two baking trays.

Stir together your dry ingredients in a large bowl, then set aside.

In a saucepan, gently melt together the coconut oil, molasses, brown rice syrup and cashew butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat, then stir through the sweet potato and vanilla.

Stir your dry ingredients together with your wet, until the mixture starts to stick and clump together.

Lay the granola on your baking trays, then place in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes, or until becoming golden. Turn the oven up to 180C and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the granola becomes crisper.

Turn the oven off, then leave the granola inside the oven, door open, for half an hour (this will allow your granola to crisp even more). Remove from the oven, then allow to cool.

Once cool, stir through dried fruit of choice and chocolate chips. Place in airtight containers until ready to eat. Serve as a snack, with yoghurt or milk.